Human hypertension represents a disease of multiple etiologies. Included among these is a sodium and volume dependent low renin form of hypertension. Drugs that act to control one aspect of hypertension will not necessarily be effective in controlling another.
A variety of mercapto-acylamino acids are known as enkephalinase inhibitors useful as analgesics and in the treatment of hypertension.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,009 to Roques et al discloses, inter alia, compounds of the formula. ##STR1## wherein n is 0 to 1; R.sup.1 includes hydrogen, optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted phenyl, cyclohexyl and thienyl; and R.sup.2 includes hydrogen optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted benzyl, phenyl, phenoxyalkyl and optionally substituted mercaptoalkyl. The compounds are disclosed as principally having enkephalinase activity, but also are said to be antihypertensives.
U.S. Pat. No.4,401,677 to Greenberg et al discloses compounds of a scope similar to Roques et al as having analgesic activity, while U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,651 to Ondetti et al discloses the use of similar compounds in the treatment of renin-angiotensin related hypertension.
It has recently been discovered that the heart secretes a series of peptide hormones called atrial natriuretic factors (ANF) which help to regulate blood pressure, blood volume and the excretion of water, sodium and potassium. ANF were found to produce a short-term reduction in blood pressure and to be useful in the treatment of congestive heart failure. See P. Needleman et al, "Atriopeptin: A Cardiac Hormone Intimately Involved in Fluid, Electrolyte and Blood-Pressure Homeostasis", N. Engl. J. Med., 314, 13 (1986) pp. 828-834, and M. Cantin et al in "The Heart as an Endocrine Gland", Scientific American, 254 (1986) pg. 76-81.